I looked everywhere for signs. One day, after finishing off a box of Chinese takeout, I opened a fortune cookie with a little extra expectation.

Instead of just some inane saying wrapped up in stale, brittle, tasteless cookie dough as usual, this one was different. The tiny black letters on the white strip of paper jumped out at me:

“Divine Discontent is the first step toward progress.”

I read it…and re-read it…

Then I put in my wallet.

Next, I taped it to my computer.

Finally, I burned it in my memory.

I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it offered a little hope, and at the time, that’s all I wanted…hope.

I had lost everything: My wife, my kids, my business and my self-respect. I was living in a tiny 300 square-foot, ramshackle-upstairs apartment in a sleazy part of Atlanta. The hookers and the winos were my neighbors.

No possessions. No bank account. No friends. And $256,000 in unsecured debt.

I was seriously discontented, but much, much less divinely inspired.

I’ve heard some people talk about hitting a bottom. Bottoms – they say – can be a real blessing, because you’re willing to be open to new solutions from a humbled viewpoint. At the time, this felt like anything but a blessing to me.

But this particular fortune cookie spoke to me…

“Divine Discontent…progress”

Was I supposed to finish the rest of my life feeling angry about the wife, the business failure and all the other stuff collapsing around me? Or was this an opportunity?

Of course, you know the answer.

Inside me somewhere, there was a voice that told me there was a solution to my predicament. My job was to be ready when it presented itself.

If you’ve ever lost your job and worried about the source of your next sandwich, you know the global economy mattered not one wit at that moment. Although economic conditions play an important role for all of us, at that moment, all we know is the fear of uncertainty.

On a global level, the economy is tough right now. Many people are suffering. People need some hope. We’re collectively hitting a bottom I believe. And we have to be willing and open to new solutions.

New solutions can seem risky. Nothing is scarier than stepping out into unknown territory. But really, nothing is riskier than doing nothing. There’s wisdom in the proverb that says, “If you keep doing the same thing, you continue to get what you got.”

The question is do you want what you’ve got?

I’m so grateful for “Divine Discontent” today, because I know I’m moving down the right path. If I’m whining, I stop immediately. It’s not just the nice thing to do, but the healthy thing to do. Whining about anything – whether I call it an injustice, not being a doormat, or constructive criticism – makes my body and mind sick.

“But things are bad. Read the papers,” I hear some of my less optimistic friends saying. “No, thank you,” is my response. Not interested. Media only sells bad news.

Are things really that bad?

Not in my life. Not today.

And if you’re living anywhere else but in today in your life, then you’re in the wrong place.

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I’ve typed all of this with a nagging ache in my neck on the left side. A pillow props my left elbow to support that arm. And an ice bag is strapped around my chest and arm freezing the ache away.

I know that when I stop typing, the pain will subside. I had shoulder surgery on the left side 7 days ago and I’ve loosened the sling on to be able to type this. It’s uncomfortable.

Did that sound like whining? It was not. It’s a blessing. I have a great doctor. He did the other shoulder last year. And I’m making money from him right now.

Niche Product 1:

I interviewed him for a niche product I’ve created on “Rotator Cuff Surgery”…

Do a Wordtracker keyword search on that phrase and you’ll find 306 searches on variations of that phrase daily -that’s 9000 per month. That’s a market. I’ve got a new product and shoulders that aren’t injured any longer.

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My kids will all call between now and Thanksgiving. Even though two of them are in the military – one serving in Alaska and one on a submarine in the Atlantic, they make time for me. It wasn’t always that way.

Niche Product 2:

Bad Dad: 10 Keys to Regaining Trust was my first ebook that resulted from my experience of rebuilding relationships with my children.

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And today, I’m sitting on the couch in the basement of my log home that I built myself on 95 acres in north Alabama. Just 15 years earlier, I taped that fortune cookie to my computer in that 300 square-foot apartment.

Niche Product 3:

The experience of building your own log house has become a niche product.

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I went for a walk in the woods with my wife and dog to find the divine inspiration at the lake in the back of the property.

Niche Product 4:

The sounds of the rain on the roof, leaves crunching underfoot, thunderstorms on deck and water tumbling over the rocks in the streams have become a niche audio product.

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That’s just a few of the niche products I continually create. I look for ways to create products everywhere.

I could have thrown that fortune cookie away and stayed in the tiny apartment licking my wounds.

Or I could listen to the divine inspiration and take action. But once you experience “Divine Discontent”, inspiration without action becomes debilitating. It’s like a constant nag in your life.

You see the answer. If you constantly want more, but do less, bitterness and self-loathing sets in. The easier, softer solution is to give in and take action. Trust me. I’ve tried them all.

Hope is the feeling.

Plugging into inspiration is the promise.

Action is key to results.

Have a great Thanksgiving. Be grateful for everything, not just the good things, but the challenges in your life too.

About David Perdew

As the CEO of NAMS - the Novice to Advanced Marketing System, Inc. - I'm the dude in charge! Check out the MyNAMS Insiders Club - a step-by-step system to help online business folks with the right Team, Tools and Training.